Unitary system for recycling used contaminated material for re-use

Abstract

A unitary system for recycling contaminated solid material such as plastic chips having contaminants on the surface includes an elongated vessel having an inlet for contaminated solid material adjacent one end and an outlet for cleaned solid material at a second end. A plurality of divider walls are spaced apart along the length of the vessel to form a plurality of discrete, separate, spaced apart treatment chambers and each chamber is adapted for holding an individual charge of solid material being treated. Charges in the chambers are moved simultaneously from chamber to chamber from the inlet toward the outlet. Piping is provided for introducing various liquid media into the respective treatment chambers for washing away the contaminants from the surface of the solid material. During each operational cycle, the vessel is rotated at a suitable speed in an oscillating fashion to provide washing action as basher bars move the contaminated solid material through the liquid medium. Each chamber is provided with a plurality of radially oriented basher bars which force the floatable solid material downwardly and through the liquid medium for removal of the contaminants. After a treatment cycle, the liquid medium and contaminants carried thereby are removed from the chamber and the contaminated liquid medium is recycled by removal and separation of the contaminants therefrom so that the liquid medium can be used again in the same or another system.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
       1. Unitary apparatus for removing contaminants from a charge of solid chip-like material, comprising: container means having an outer wall and adapted for holding a quantity of liquid medium for wetting said charge of said solid material in a floating mass adjacent an upper surface of said liquid medium to facilitate removal of contaminants from surfaces of said material;   agitator means in said container means supported to rotate about an axis spaced above said liquid medium, said agitator means including a plurality of elements having surfaces extending generally radially and spaced outwardly of said axis and spaced inwardly away from said outer wall adapted to downwardly strike the upper surface of said liquid medium and thereafter pass downwardly through said mass of solid chip-like material floating in said liquid medium for forcing said material downwardly toward greater depths in said liquid medium below an upper surface of said liquid medium for washing at least some of said contaminants away from said surfaces of said solid chip-like material for collection into said liquid medium as said agitator means rotates, and   means for removing said contaminants from said liquid medium after some of said contaminants are washed away from said surfaces of said solid material.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1, including: means for separating said contaminants that are washed away from said solid material away from said liquid medium.   
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: said agitator means comprises a plurality of basher bars spaced generally parallel of said axis and fixedly mounted in said container means at different distances away from said axis on different angularly spaced radials around said axis.   
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein: said basher bars have generally planar faces aligned on said radials outwardly of said axis of rotation.   
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein: at least some said basher bars have opposite parallel planar faces and are formed with apertures extending between opposite planar faces for permitting the passage of said liquid medium and said solid chip-like materials therethrough as said basher bars move downwardly through said floating mass of solid chip-like material in liquid medium.   
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein: said container means comprises a generally cylindrical chamber having at least one compartment defined between longitudinally spaced apart circular walls normal to said axis; and   said basher bars extend between said circular walls and spaced radially outwardly of said axis and are generally parallel thereto.   
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim 6, including: a plurality of said cylindrical chambers aligned in sequence along said axis and including a common cylindrical outer wall with said circular walls extending inwardly thereof toward said axis; and   transfer means for moving batches of said particulate material from one chamber to a next adjacent chamber upon rotation of said common cylinder wall in one direction about said axis.   
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim 7, including: motor means for rotating said container means in opposite directions around said axis.   
     
     
       9. Unitary apparatus for removing contaminants from a charge of solid chip-like material, comprising: container means for holding a quantity of liquid medium for wetting said charge of said solid material to facilitate removal of contaminants from surfaces of said material;   agitator means in said container means movable to rotate about an axis spaced above said liquid medium, said agitator means comprising a plurality of basher bars fixedly mounted in said container means and spaced apart at different distances from said axis of rotation to pass through said solid material contained in said liquid medium for direct engagement with said solid material forcing the same downwardly toward greater depths in said liquid medium below an upper surface of said medium for washing at least some of said contaminants away from said surfaces of said solid material for collection into said liquid medium, said basher bars having generally planar faces aligned on radials outwardly of said axis of rotation and formed with apertures extending between opposite planar faces for permitting the passage of said liquid medium and said solid materials therethrough as said basher bars move through said liquid medium,   said apertures having a minimum cross-sectional flow area spaced between said opposite planar faces that is less than the area of said apertures at said planar faces.   
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein: said container means comprises a generally cylindrical chamber having at least one compartment defined between circular walls normal to said axis; and   said basher bars extend between said circular walls and are spaced radially outwardly of said axis.   
     
     
       11. The apparatus of claim 10, including: a plurality of said cylindrical chambers aligned in sequence along said axis and including a common cylindrical outer wall with said circular walls extending inwardly thereof toward said axis; and   transfer means for moving batches of said particulate material from one chamber to a next adjacent chamber upon rotation of said common cylinder wall in one direction about said axis.   
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim 9, including: motor means for rotating said container means in opposite directions around said axis.